T he practice of holistic or biologi- cal dentistry encompasses energy medicine and meridians of the body, specifically, how meridians associate with teeth and related organs. The concept of energy encourages physical, psychological ,and spiritual health and well-being.1 For more than 5,000 years, Chinese med- icine practitioners have recognized the association between energy in the body and well-being.2 Disturbances in cell energy or movement can precede abnor- mal patterns of cellular organization and growth.3,4 The concept of meridians comes from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) and encompasses theoretical concepts about how energy flows throughout the body, similar to the circulatory system.5 If a block- age of energy occurs, negative side effects, including fatigue, edema, and lymphatic problems, may occur.3 In TCM, the meridian theory is a key component to understand- ing and treating the human body. This theory is based on the belief that there is a meridian system network composed of 12 main bilateral meridian channels traveling throughout the body’s connective tissue.3,6,7 Each of the 12 principal meridian paths is associated with an organ, such as the heart, pericardium, lung, spleen, liver, kidney (the yin organs) and stomach, gallbladder, large and small intes- tine, urinary bladder and tri-heater or triple burner (the yang organs).2,7 Table 1 (page 30) lists the 12 main meridian channels. Meridians and the Primo Vascular System In modern medicine, the body’s organs are described by their anatomical structure and functions. In TCM, organs are considered SECTION 2 Understanding Tooth Meridians The concept of energy flow within the body impacting health has implications for the oral cavity as well. By Rebecca M. Coelho, RDH, CDA, MSDH; Tara L. Newcomb, RDH, MS; and Susan Lynn Tolle, BSDH, MS EDUCATIONAL OBJECTIVES After reading this course, the participant should be able to: 1. Identify fundamental principles of the meridian theory and the association between specific teeth and organs. 2. Describe the primo vascular system. 3. Discuss ways in which culture influences a patient’s decision to seek out complementary and alternative medicine therapies. YUELAN / ISTOCK / GETTY IMAGES PLUS 28 Dimensions OF DENTAL HYGIENE • July/August 2023 dimensionsofdentalhygiene.com DIMENSIONS CE EARN 2 CE UNITS THIS SELF-STUDY CE COURSE IS WRITTEN FOR DENTISTS, DENTAL HYGIENISTS, AND DENTAL ASSISTANTS. DIMENSIONS PEER-REVIEWED CONTENT SECTION 1
